Bus Bomb in Israel Similar to Boston Marathon Explosive

JERUSALEM — The bomb that exploded last month on an evacuated public bus in central Israel closely resembled the type used in the Boston Marathon attack.

The explosive in Bat Yam was enclosed in a pressure cooker and was activated by a cell phone, according to the Shin Bet security service, the Times of Israel reported.

Some 14 people have been arrested in the foiled Bat Yam attack, the Shin Bet announced after a gag order on the arrests was lifted on Jan. 2. Among them are four members of the terrorist group Islamic Jihad from Bethlehem and a Bedouin Israeli, the Times of Israel reported.

The bomb, which was placed in a black backpack with wires sticking out, detonated on Dec. 22. Passengers were evacuated from the bus before the bomb was detonated after alerting the driver to a suspicious package left on the vehicle, which was traveling from Bnei Brak to Bat Yam.

The arrested Islamic Jihad members had intended to carry out a second, larger attack, the Times of Israel reported.

The pressure-cooker bomb included more than four pounds of explosives and was surrounded by metal balls and screws.

At the Boston Marathon in April[1], three people were killed and more than 250 were injured by a bomb allegedly made by brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev, possibly using an al-Qaida manual online.